A Complete Guide for FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS

[Pages:11]A Complete Guide for

FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS

BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.? Equal Housing Opportunity.

The Steps to Buying a Home

The best way to start the home buying process is by determining if you can afford to purchase a home and, if so, how much can you afford. You can do this by getting pre-approved from a mortgage lender. You'll also want to make a list of your income vs debts. This will help you determine a comfortable per month

mortgage payment.

You can search homes online all day long, but you`ll need a real estate professional to schedule showings, offer expertise, negotiate on your behalf, manage paperwork and many other daunting tasks. Don't be afraid to interview a few different real estate agents. Afterall, this is the person who will help you make one of the largest financial decisions of your life!

Now comes the fun part... deciding what you want in a home! How many bedrooms? Bathrooms? How far are you willing to commute? Do you want a move-in ready home or are you willing to do a few renonvation projects? Give this some thought, be realistic and share your wants and needs with your real estate agent. (PS: We have included a checklist in this guide to make this even easier!)

Woo-hoo! You've found the home you've been dreaming of. Now what? At this point, your real estate agent will help you prepare and present an offer. He/she will also negotiate the terms and potential counteroffers. Once everything is agreed upon, you'll deposit your earnest money, arrange for an inspection and appraisal, secure financing, order home insurance, home warranty and more. Your real estate agent will guide you through the process between offer and closing to keep you on track.

Words You Should Know

APPRAISAL

A written estimate of a property's current value.

CLOSING COSTS

Fees associated with buying a house that your lender charges and/or you rack up from various third parties.

CONTINGENT

A status in which a house has accepted an offer but relies on meeting certain crieria, such as passing a home inspection or appraisal.

CONVENTIONAL MORTGAGE

A mortgage loan not insured by the government or guaranteed by the Veterans' Administration. It is subject to conditions established by the lending institution and State statutes.

COMMISSION

A percentage of the sale that is paid to the real estate professional. In most situations, commissions are paid by the seller of the property.

DOWN PAYMENT

The amount of your home's purchase price you pay upfront.

FHA MORTGAGE

A mortgage that is insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). FHA loans are designed to make housing more affordable.

FORECLOSURE

A property seized by the mortgage lender due to the homeowner failing to make full payments on their mortgage. In hopes to recover the balance of the home loan, the lender will sell the house.

FSBO

A.K.A. For Sale by Owner. A FSBO is a property that is being sold by the current homeowner without the aid of a real estate agent.

HAND MONEY (EARNEST MONEY)

A deposit made by the potential home buyer to show that he/she is serious about buying the house.

INSPECTION

An evaulation of the home in which a professional inspector determines the current condition of the home and its systems.

LISTING

A list of information about a home that is currently on the market.

MLS

A.K.A. Multiple Listing Service. The MLS is a database that includes all available homes for sale in a particular area.

PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance)

The monthly insurance payment a lender must pay if the down payment is less than 20% of the sale price.

PRE-APPROVAL

An evaluation by a lender that determines if the potential buyer qualifies for a loan and, if so, the maximum amount the lender would be willing to lend.

REO

An acronym for "Real Estate Owned." A REO property is owned by the bank due to a foreclosure. REO properties can be purchased from the bank; however, they are often sold "as is."

SELLER ASSIST

Money given from the seller to the buyer at settlement to pay for part of the closing costs. The amount varies depending what the mortgage company allows.

Interviewing Agents

When it comes to buying your first home, you'll want to be sure you have a real estate agent that best fits your needs. That's why interviewing a few different agents is a great idea! Here are a few questions to ask.

How long have you been selling real estate? What percentage of your business is spent working with buyers? How well do you know the areas I am looking in? How do you prefer to communicate? (Phone, email, text?) How often will you communicate with me? How many clients are you currently representing? How will you notify me of potential homes that hit the market? What sets you apart from other real estate agents in the area? How will you keep me on track during the buying process? The best time for me to tour houses is ______ (daytime, nights, weekends, etc.). Will that work with your schedule? Will you and/or your company be able to provide me with resources on home loans, home insurance, home warranty, title, and anything else I need during the buying process? Do you have any references that I could contact?

Buyer's Name(s):

Price Range: MIN $

- MAX $

Desired Neighborhoods/School Districts:

Home Buyer's Checklist

Bedrooms:

Bathrooms:

Square Footage:

House Style: c Cape Cod c Colonial c Farmhouse c Log Cabin c Multi-level c Ranch

c Split-Level c Tudor

c Victorian c Other:

FEATURES

Cul-de-Sac Street Garage Fenced-in Yard Pool Deck and/or Patio Front Porch Hardwood Floors Open Floor Plan Finished Basement Updated Bathroom(s) Spa Bath Master Bathroom Eat-in Kitchen Granite Countertops Kitchen Island Kitchen Appliances Included Fireplace Central Air Washer/Dryer Included Office Walk-in Closet Security System Dining Room

Other:

DESIRED

HIGHLY DESIRED

MUST-HAVE

What can you afford?

Step 1 Monthly Income

Wages, salaries, business income after expenses

________________

Interest, dividends or rental income

________________

Other income (alimony, child support, pensions, or Social Security)

________________

Total Monthly Income (Step 1)

$________________

Step 2 Monthly Non-Housing Expenses Car payment and insurance Cell phone Student loan Credit card TV/Internet/Netflix/Etc. Groceries/Gas/Other Travel/Recreation/Fun Money Child care Monthly bank loan payments (other than a mortgage) Alimony or child support you owe Savings and investments

________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________

Total Monthly Non-Housing Expenses (Step 2)

$_______________

Step 3 Amount Available for Monthly Housing Expenses

Total monthly Income (Step 1)

________________

Minus Total Non-Housing Expenses (Step 2)

________________

Equals Amount Available for Monthly Housing Expenses (Step 3)

$_______________

Step 4 Monthly Estimated Housing Expenses

Mortgage loan payment (principal and interest ? see chart)

________________

Property taxes

________________

Mortgage insurance

________________

Homeowner's insurance (liability, flood, fire)

________________

Utilities (heat, water, electricity, gas, trash removal)

________________

Maintenance and repairs

________________

Other (assessments, homeowner's association dues)

________________

Total Monthly Estimated Housing Expenses (Step 4) $_______________

Compare Step 3 and Step 4 totals. The Total Monthly Estimated Housing Expenses (Step 4) should not exceed the Amount Available for Monthly Estimated Housing Expenses (Step 3).

Loan Application Checklist

Don't let the loan application process prevent you from making an offer on the home of your dreams! Be ahead of the game by having all your documents organized and ready to give your loan originator.

Here is a checklist of documents and materials you will need in order to apply for a mortgage:

Purchase contract and property information

o Copy of the sales contract o Mailing address and property description o Contact information for access to the property o Plans and specifications (new construction only)

Personal information

o Social Security number o Age o Years of schooling o Marital status o Number and ages of dependents o Current address and telephone numbers o Addresses for the past seven years o Current housing expenses

(Rent, mortgage, insurance, taxes) o Name and address of landlord or mortgage

holder for past two years

Employment history and income

o Two years of employment history, with complete details of each job

o Recent pay stubs and two years of W-2 forms o Complete tax returns and financial statements if

self-employed o Written explanation of employment gaps o Records of dividends and interest received o Proof of other income

Assets

o Complete information on all bank and money accounts

o Two months of bank statements o Current values of stocks, bonds, mutual funds

and other investments o Vested interests in retirement funds o Value of life insurance o Information on vehicles you own o Information on real estate you own o Value of significant personal property you own

Liabilities

o Itemized list of all current debts (loan, credit cards, and other bills)

o Written explanation of past credit problems o Full details of bankruptcy during the last seven years

Fees

o Credit report and appraisal fees (usually $500 or less)

Mortgage Do's & Don'ts

While you are considering the purchase of a new home, you need to be aware of what things might adversely affect your loan. Your credit, income and assets are verified after you submit your application and in some instances right before closing. Following these tips throughout the loan process can be very important.

DO CALL YOUR MORTGAGE CONSULTANT

If you are unsure if something will impact your loan, call your representative.

DO KEEP ORIGINAL DOCUMENT

Keep originals of all paystubs, bank statements and other financial documents.

DO PAY ALL YOUR BILLS ON TIME

Late payments on current accounts like mortgage, car payment, charge cards, etc. will impact your credit score which identifies your likeliness to repay your debts. Make your mortgage payments on time but call your loan representative before you make any payments that are scheduled within two weeks of closing.

DON'T APPLY FOR NEW CREDIT or INCREASE ANY CREDIT LIMITS

Avoid making major purchases such as cars, lines of credit for furniture, appliances, computers, etc. If you receive an invitation to apply for new lines of credit or to increase existing credit, don't respond. If you do, that company will pull your credit report and this will have an adverse effect on your credit score.

DON'T MAX OUT or OVER CHARGE EXISTING CREDIT CARDS

Running up credit cards is the fastest way to bring a credit score down. Try to keep credit cards below 30% of the available limit.

DON'T CONSOLIDATE DEBT or CLOSE CREDIT CARD ACCOUNTS

This may change your qualification ratio of debt to available credit which also affects your credit score. You want to keep an active beneficial credit history on your record. If you really want to do these things, do it after you close your mortgage loan.

DON'T RAISE RED FLAGS

Don't co-sign on another person's loan or change your name and address. The less activity that occurs while your loan is in process, the smoother the process will be.

DON'T CHANGE JOBS

Employment stability is a big factor in the underwriting process. Quitting, changing jobs or even changing positions in same company can greatly impact your loan approval. Inform us immediately of any changes to your job, position or income.

Brought to you by:

For more information, call us at 412-391-3200 or visit

At West Penn Financial, we have the knowledge and resources for a smooth move. From securing the financing that best fits your client's lifestyle, to handing over the keys, our experts listen to your client's needs. Bringing all the pieces together for a stressfree transaction ? that's what we do best.

West Penn Financial pledges fast, friendly and professional service. It's our mission and our greatest success. Let us make it happen for you.

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